As obsessive readers and fans of dismissing quality movies as inferior to their literary counterparts, it's important for us to know which books will head to the big screen ahead of time. How else will we know how Wild Reese will be, or what is going to happen to Peeta? Be reasonable. We've decided to use our research for the good of society and share the adaptations coming soon that we are most excited for.
1. The Spook's Apprentice - Joseph Delaney (Seventh Son)
Thomas Ward (Ben Barnes) is the seventh son of the seventh son, which gives him the ability to see things that others cannot: ghosts, ghasts, boggarts, and the like. He becomes an apprentice to John Gregory, the Spook (Jeff Bridges). Julianne Moore is set to play Mother Malkin, one of the most sinister witches who uses blood magic, luring young runaway women into care before sucking their blood to maintain her youth, who was then imprisoned by the Spook. Kit Harington and Djimon Hounsou also star.
2. Fifty Shades of Grey - E.L. James
Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan, in case you somehow didn't know, are stepping into the roles of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey for the adaptation of the incredibly successful erotic novel. Steele, a literature student, interviews Grey as a favor to her roommate, but quickly becomes entranced by this brilliant and handsome man who is unable to resist her. He admits his desire, but on his own terms; this is a man with a need to control everything. This is also probably going to be the movie with a bunch of heavy-breathing sweaty middle-aged women trying to control themselves in the theater. You've been warned.
3. In the Heart of the Sea - Nathaniel Philbrick
The last time Ron Howard and Chris Hemsworth teamed up, they brought us one of the best films of 2013, Rush. Now, they're at it again (along with Cillian Murphy and Benjamin Walker) with this story of a whaleship attacked by one angry whale, leaving the crew shipwrecked and stranded for 90 days, thousands of miles from land. The true story inspired a little book by Herman Melville (played in the movie by our favorite, Ben Whishaw) entitled Moby-Dick.
4. The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith (Carol)
W. W. Norton &amp; Company
Patricia Highsmith, author of successful novels-turned-movies like Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley (we're choosing to ignore the recent The Two Faces of January here), wrote The Price of Salt, which will be released as 'Carol.' The novel itself, controversial for its lesbian content and unprecedented gay happy ending, is said to have inspired Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita. The film stars Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, and Sarah Paulson, with Far From Heaven and I'm Not There director Todd Haynes helming.
5. Dark Places - Gillian Flynn
Shaye Areheart Books
Gone Girl author brings us yet another chilling thriller. A young girl is the sole survivor of a massacre that leaves both of her sisters and her mother dead in an apparent Satanic cult ritual. She testifies against her brother, but 25 years later, she begins to investigate the actual events. Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Nicholas Hoult, and Christina Hendricks star.
6. A Walk in the Woods - Bill Bryson
HarperCollins Publishers
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants director Ken Kwapis is set to direct Bryson's memoir, starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte. The hilarious book describes Bryson's attempt to walk the Appalachian Trail with his friend Stephen Katz. Emma Thompson and Parks and Recreation's Nick Offerman will also star.
7. Insurgent - Veronica Roth
As conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows, a war looms for Divergent's post-apocalyptic Chicago. In this sequel, we're still following Shailene Woodley and Theo James' Tris and Four as they try to understand the reasons for Erudite's insurrection and obtain information the Abnegation are trying to protect. Kate Winslet, Zoë Kravitz, Ansel Elgort, and Miles Teller return in their supporting roles, and are joined by some all-star names: Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, and Suki Waterhouse.
8. Serena - Ron Rash
The dynamic duo of mega-nominated movies Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle are back at it! Bradley Cooper plays a man trying to maintain his timber empire during the Depression, while Jennifer Lawrence plays his wife who discovers she can't have children. For some reason, we're a little terrified of JLaw in this movie from the trailer.
9. Silence - Shusako Endo
Taplinger Publishing Company
This 1966 novel about a Jesuit missionary sent to 17th century Japan where he endures persecution is set to be adapted by Martin Scorsese. It will also have an all star cast of Andrew Garfield, Liam Neeson, Ken Watanabe, and Adam Driver.
10. The Longest Ride - Nicholas Sparks
The producers of The Fault in Our Stars, the author of The Notebook, and the hottest Hollywood son around, this movie already has us in love with it. Scott Eastwood and Britt Robertson play two lovers and there's a rodeo or something; we don't really know, we were just thinking about how much this movie will make us cry. Time to read the book.
11. Far From the Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
The Hunt director Thomas Vinterberg tackles Thomas Hardy's novel. Carey Mulligan stars as Bathsheba Everdene, a woman who has too many men in love with her and of course rejects them all until she falls for one. Three men, played by Michael Sheen, Matthias Schoenaerts (Rust and Bone), and Tom Sturridge (On The Road), all after this woman: who will she end up with? We actually just read the plot description and had everything spoiled and somehow still gasped and cried at those three paragraphs. Why didn't we know about this book before?!
12. Paper Towns - John Green
Dutton Books
The Fault in Our Stars author John Green's next book to be adapted by the same team who adapted TFIOS (Scott Neustadter &amp; Michael H. Weber). Margo and her adventures are legendary at her high school, and Quentin ("Q") has always loved her for it. Margo climbs through his window and demands he take an all night road trip of revenge, but when she goes missing the next day, Q realizes she's left clues for him and promptly hits the road again in search of her. Cara Delevingne will play Margo and TFIOS' Nat Wolff will play Q.
13. The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge - Michael Punke
Carroll &amp; Graf Publishers
Academy Award-nominated Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman, 21 Grams, Biutiful) is set to direct Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy in this adaptation. Partially based on the life of fur trapper Hugh Glass. Leo will play Glass, who is mauled by a bear, then later robbed and left for dead by his companions. He survives and sets out for revenge against those same men.
14. The Secret Scripture - Sebastian Barry
Faber and Faber
A one-hundred-year-old woman, Roseanne McNulty, in a mental hospital for about 50 years decides to retrace her history. As the hospital faces demolition and he must choose which of his patients should be transferred and which should rejoin the community, Dr. Grene also tries to discover her history. What they find is very different, though there are some consistencies. Vanessa Redgrave and Rooney Mara will play Roseanne McNulty, Eric Bana will play Grene, with Theo James also starring.
15. Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
Penguin Classics
An oft-adapted novel, Mary Shelley's classic is to be turned into yet another film, this time directed by Paul McGuigan (Lucky Number Slevin, Push). The updated version, titled Victor Frankenstein, will be told from the perspective of the doctor's assistant, Igor. The film will explain how the doctor became the man who created the legendary monster. Daniel Radcliffe will play Igor and James McAvoy will play Victor Frankenstein.
16. The Martian - Andy Weir
Crown Publishing Group
Described as Cast Away meets Apollo 13, the novel follows an astronaut stranded on Mars, fighting to survive (which also sounds mildly like Gravity to us, no?). Ridley Scott is set to direct a pretty stellar (no pun intended) cast here: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Donald Glover, Kate Mara, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. This sounds like a great movie already, but we'll have to wait until November to see it.
17. The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling
Macmillan Publishers
Walt Disney Pictures is working on this live-action/CGI mash-up of the classic book, directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Chef), with a mind-bogglingly incredible cast. Bill Murray, Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Walken, Scarlett Johansson, Lupita Nyong'o, and Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito will provide voices, while newcomer Neel Sethi will play Mowgli.

Justin Timberlake has topped a new list of stylish gents. The pop superstar has landed at number one on tailor to the stars James Andrew's end-of-year best dressed men countdown.
Andrew tells WENN, "He tops my list because his universal style matches his universal talent. Justin caters for both the young and old, both with his fashion choices and his music."
Timberlake beats out actors Josh Hutcherson, James Franco and Christian Bale, while Jamie Foxx rounds out the top five.
Orlando Bloom, George Clooney and Andy Garcia also make the top 10.

Actor Mark Hamill is set to reprise his villainous role as The Trickster in the current series of superhero TV show The Flash. The Star Wars actor played James Jesse, aka the Trickster, in a 1990s TV series and he will now appear in an episode of the show, which features Grant Gustin as the speedy crimestopper, next year (15).
In a press release about his return to the superhero world, Hamill's character is described as "an anarchist terrorist con man serving a life sentence... who helps Barry (Gustin) and Det. West (Jesse L. Martin) to foil the city-wide attacks of a wannabe Trickster eagerly following in the original's deadly footsteps."
The episode will reunite Hamill with John Wesley Shipp, who starred opposite him as the original Flash on TV two decades ago.
Executive producer Andrew Kreisberg tells Hitfix.com, "Having Mark reprise his role as The Trickster was on our original wish list when we were planning our version of The Flash. Christmas and Hanukkah came early for us this year when he said yes! We are beyond humbled and excited to have him joining us for another round of deadly trickery!"

James Bond star Daniel Craig and director Sam Mendes have promised fans the next 007 movie Spectre will be even better than their box office smash Skyfall.
Mendes unveiled the 24th installment in the franchise on Thursday (04Dec14) and its title, referring to arch villain Blofeld's sinister terrorist organisation, has sparked speculation of a return to the popular plotline of the early movies. The director has now revealed that Spectre picks up the narrative two years on from Skyfall and he insists the script is so good that he changed his mind about not returning to the franchise.
Mendes says, "I changed my mind because of the script and the story, and I felt a connection to the characters that we created in the last movie, and I felt that there was another story to tell, maybe a story I wanted to finish that was begun in the last movie, which is not to say that this is the same story but it's the same characters two years on."
Craig, who will be starring in his fourth Bond film, adds, "We have Sam directing it again, some of the same great cast, and I believe we have got a better script than last time, so here we go!"
Spectre will feature a return for Skyfall stars including Ben Whishaw as gadget-master Q and Ralph Fiennes as 007's newly-installed boss M, as well as roles for Christoph Waltz, David Bautista, and Andrew Scott. Monica Bellucci and Lea Seydoux will feature as Bond girls.

Movie superspy James Bond looks set to face his old enemy Spectre and its villainous boss Blofeld in the upcoming 24th installment in the franchise. Six of the early 007 movies in the 1960s and '70s featured Bond doing battle with the sinister organisation bent on destroying espionage and provoking war between East and West before Blofeld was apparently killed off in 1981's For Your Eyes Only.
However, director Sam Mendes announced on Thursday (04Dec14) that the next film in the series, due for release on 06 November (15), will be titled Spectre, sparking fevered speculation he is to revisit the popular plotline.
Joining 007 actor Daniel Craig onscreen will be Christoph Waltz, David Bautista, and Andrew Scott, and the spy will also be flanked by two new Bond girls, played by Monica Bellucci and Lea Seydoux.
Mendes says, "The title of the 24th Bond movie is Spectre. Those of you who have some knowledge of the Bond franchise and the legend of Bond will probably have some idea what that refers to but I couldn't possibly comment..."
Filming for Spectre will begin next week (begs08Dec14).

Sherlock star Andrew Scott will reportedly play a villain in the next James Bond film. The Irish actor currently plays Sherlock Holmes' nemesis, James Moriarty, on TV and he will portray another baddie in Daniel Craig's new 007 movie, according to British newspaper the Daily Mirror.
A source tells the publication, "Andrew was hand-picked for a role in the new Bond movie after film bosses loved his star turn in Sherlock. Casting directors thought he was perfect to play a baddie and they wanted to use his existing Sherlock profile - and amp it up to the next level. Andrew is hoping the move will see him leap from TV to the big screen, where he can eventually divide his time between London and L.A. He knows this is his big break."
The news comes amid rumours Christoph Waltz has also been tapped to play a Bond villain.
The official title and cast of the 24th installment of the Bond franchise is set to be announced on Thursday (04Dec14) and the movie will hit cinemas in October next year (15).

Bobby Cannavale and Olivia Wilde have been confirmed as castmates for Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese's new TV project, which focuses on the rise of punk and disco in the music industry in the mid-1970s. Jagger, Scorsese, Victoria Pearman and Rick Yorn will executive produce the project, created by Terence Winter, the brains behind TV hit Boardwalk Empire and The Wolf of Wall Street.
Cannavale will lead the cast as Richie Finestra, the founder and president of a top record label. Wilde will play his wife Devon.
The series will also feature Ray Romano, Andrew 'Dice' Clay and Jagger's son James, who will portray the frontman of fictional punk act Nasty Bits.
The untitled drama will shoot in New York.

Actresses Ann Reinking and Bebe Neuwirth are heading back to the New York revival of Chicago to help celebrate the show becoming the second longest-running production in Broadway history. Reinking, who also choreographed the musical, took centre stage as Roxie Hart when it first opened in May, 1996, alongside Neuwirth as Velma Kelly, Joel Grey as Amos Hart and James Naughton in the role of Billy Flynn.
Now all four original stars will return to the Great White Way for cameos on 23 November (14) for a special performance to mark the theatre record.
Chicago, which will have racked up 7,486 performances in 18 years by the time the curtain falls on the November show, will take over the second-place title from Cats, which recorded 7,485 shows on Broadway between 1982 and 2000.
However, the 1920s-based musical still has a way to go to claim the top honour - that is held by another Andrew Lloyd Webber production, The Phantom of the Opera, which is still running at the Majestic Theatre after more than 11,000 performances since 1988.

Director Andrew V. Mclaglen has died at the age of 94. The son of former professional boxer and Academy Award-winning actor Victor McLaglen passed away on Saturday (30Aug14) at his home in Washington.
McLaglen worked with John Wayne on five films including McLintock! and The Undefeated and James Stewart on four including The Rare Breed and Bandolero!.
He also directed Doris Day and Peter Graves in The Ballad of Josie, Kirk Douglas in The Way West and Dean Martin in Something Big.
In addition to his film work, McLaglen directed several TV shows including Gunsmoke, Rawhide and Perry Mason.

Socialite Nicky Hilton is engaged to boyfriend James Rothschild. The hotel heiress' banker beau popped the question last weekend (ends10Aug14) in Italy, according to Us Weekly.
A source tells the magazine the couple was celebrating its anniversary in the same country where they first met, while attending supermodel Petra Ecclestone and James Stunt's 2011 wedding near Rome.
The insider reveals Rothschild, who flew from his home in England to the U.S. to ask Hilton's parents for her hand in marriage before the trip, proposed during a boat trip on Lake Como, where George Clooney owns a retreat.
The source says, "It was incredibly romantic and beautiful."
Hilton and Rothschild are reportedly celebrating their engagement with a road trip through Europe.
Fashion designer Hilton, the younger sister of Paris, previously dated DreamWorks studio boss David Katzenberg for four years, and was briefly married to childhood friend and businessman Todd Andrew Meister in 2004.
Italy has become 2014's romance destination for celebrities - Kim Kardashian and Kanye West wed in Florence earlier this summer, and George Clooney will wed his fiancee Amal Alamuddin in Italy next month (Sep14), according to reports.